Shafts of the type used for golf clubs, ski poles and the like typically have a circular cross section. However, in recent years, shafts with a non-circular cross section have been developed, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,203 to Nelson et al. (the "'203 patent") and U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,094 to Hsu (the "'094" patent), and in PCT Application WO 94/17874 to Manninen et al. (the "PCT application"). These references do not disclose the use of golf club shafts having a "special aerodynamic" cross section, as defined below. Nor do these references disclose shafts having an "aerodynamic" cross section, as defined below, in which the portion having the aerodynamic cross section is not the primary structural element of the shaft. In addition, these references do not disclose shafts having ends that can be attached to the aerodynamic portion, which ends do not necessarily have an aerodynamic configuration.
Removable sleeves for protecting golf club shafts when not in use are known, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,884 to Flory and U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,581 to Mares. These sleeves are designed primarily for use with graphite club shafts which can fail at the point where the shaft rubs against the golf bag or other clubs. These sleeves are not intended to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the shaft when in use, as evidenced by their circular cross section and design which permits removal before use. Instead, they are designed to protect the graphite shafts from abrasive wear.